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Local owners could take control of Corus
Local business chiefs could be prepared to take over Corus' troubled South Yorkshire engineering steels plants if Indian steel maker Tata decides to pull out, says Master Cutler Martin Howell.
And, the former Corus executive, whose first job at a steel plant was in Stocksbridge, says the works there could start melting steel again, if ever a deal was clinched.
In the wake of job cuts announced last week, which reduced the workforce in Rotherham and Stocksbridge to just over 1,000, compared with 6,000 a decade ago, Mr Howell said he thought production at the company's South Yorkshire plants was "almost at the point of no return".
The Master Cutler said: "The question has to be asked whether that is cutting to the bone or cutting into the bone. It's not a precise science.
"Who knows what the future holds for them, but, the important message is that, if Tata decides it is not a business for them, I would hope that they would explore ways in which the business could continue under different ownership.
"I think there are other solutions which would be South Yorkshire-based. I would like to think they would come to talk to people like the Cutlers' Company. I am sure we could put people together who could look for a potential solution."
Mr Howell believes Corus Engineering Steels could be a sell-off target because big general steelmakers like British Steel, Corus and Tata find the small and targeted South Yorkshire engineering steels business difficult to understand.
Stocksbridge, with its focus on aerospace steels and highly flexible mill, would be the jewel in the crown of what could effectively be the resurrection of the pre-1967 nationalisation United Steels.
But, the big issue would be where the plant would melt its steel.
Mr Howell suggests the current Corus Engineering Steels plant in Rotherham or, failing that, melting shops at Sheffield Forgemasters or Outokumpu could supply steel for Stocksbridge.
But, Mr Howell, who played a key part in the multimillion pound Stainless Melting and Continuous Casting development at what is now Outokumpu's Shepcote Lane plant, also holds out the tempting prospect of resurrecting steel melting at Stocksbridge.
He says the plant has a number of attractions.
Stocksbridge has clearly defined markets – focused on aerospace, rather than the less secure automotive market that is a significant part of the Rotherham plant's business. It also has a mill that is more flexible than most in Western Europe.
The Master Cutler emphasises that he has had no contact with Tata about the future of its South Yorkshire engineering steels plants, but his views on what might happen proved highly accurate when Corus restructured its engineering steels operations in January.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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